Deljit Sandhu of Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation honoured by Premier as “Emerging Leader”

PREMIER Christy Clark celebrated the exceptional accomplishments of British Columbia’s public service employees and unveiled a new form of recognition, the B.C. Public Service Hall of Excellence, at the Premier’s Annual Innovation and Excellence Awards ceremony on Thursday in Victoria.

“This event marks the 10th year we have been recognizing and celebrating public service achievements that have made real differences in people’s lives,” said Clark. “I wanted to find a special way to honour individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to British Columbia. Now the Hall of Excellence is the highest form of recognition public service employees can strive for.”

Public service employees were recognized for applying new, innovative ways of providing essential services in six categories: Leadership, Organizational Excellence, Partnership, Innovation, Emerging Leader and Legacy.

DELJIT SANDHU from the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation was recognized in the “Emerging Leader” category. She led a virtual team supporting clients on income assistance, developing a framework that resulted in more accurate and consistent outcomes and a better working relationship with community and government partners.

Her citation read: “Deljit Sandhu is a supervisor of the Vancouver Coastal Central Team in the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation, leading a virtual team that supports direct services to clients on income assistance. When Del came into her role, she took a hands-on approach to working with managers, supervisors and staff in the region to develop a framework for her team, which consists of several units working at seven different work sites in the region. Del has empowered her team members to take a leadership role within their units and develop best practices. She has provided leadership by developing clear and effective processes that ensure the best use of resources and support improved client service. For example, Del worked with her staff to design new processes that ensured the teams met or exceeded provincial service standards and timelines, resulting in more accurate and consistent outcomes and a better working relationship with community and government partners.”

“TONIGHT’S recipients have tackled some of the most important issues in B.C. today with enthusiasm, dedication and a keen eye as to how to improve services and programs for British Columbians,” Finance Minister Michael de Jong said. “The result is more efficient project timelines and innovative approaches that work. I’m proud of all the recipients today.”

The BC Public Service Hall of Excellence is the highest honour that the BC Public Service can extend to its employees, recognizing long-lasting achievement, dedication and service to the province. The inaugural induction of the Hall of Excellence took place at the provincial Premier’s Awards ceremony in Victoria on Oct. 8, 2014, where Clark recognized both the 2014 recipients and past recipients of the Legacy award.

The nominations go through a two-part judging process. Initially, all Premier’s Award nominations are considered at a provincial level and reviewed by external adjudicators who evaluate the nominations on a category-by-category basis. Adjudicators select the regional finalists, including regional Premier’s Award recipients. The adjudicators also produce a short list for the judges to review for provincial consideration. To be considered at the provincial level, the project or person has to demonstrate significant impact or implement procedures widely adopted across multiple regions of the province. A panel of external judges then reviews the short-listed provincial nominations and selects the provincial finalists.